Trouvaille
by Stormwreckin
Summary: Gaia, Primordial of Earth, has been defeated. But not without a cost. In an act of final revenge, she asks for her brother's help to curse the one to defeat her, Percy Jackson. When Percy wakes up, he finds himself in a strange land with odd people and new magic powers he has to contend with. He'll have to navigate this new world to make new friends and protect those he cares about
1. Prologue

**Copyright Disclaimer:**

 **Please note that this disclaimer is for the entirety of this story. No Copyright infringement is intended and this fanfiction is for the sole purpose of the pleasure of others. While Greek Mythology is open for everyone to use, the characters of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and Trial of Apollo and how they are portrayed are owned by Rick Riordan and Disney Hyperion Books. The characters of Fairy Tail are owned by Hiro Mashima while the anime licenses are owned by A-1 Pictures.**

Prologue

There was an eerie feeling that fluttered through Percy's body as he stared at the field in front of him. Crimson blood caked the once green grass turning it a deep red and softly glowing bronze armor and weapons littered the ground. All around lay the dead bodies of demigods, people he had considered his friends in the past. No, they were not just friends, they were family.

On top of the dead bodies lay golden flakes telling him that a massive fight had taken place here. When monsters died, instead of dying like regular sentient beings, they turned to dust and disappeared back to Tartarus where they reformed to haunt the lives of demigods again for another day.

Percy forced himself to trudge through the field. He had been so caught up in his own personal battle he hadn't even noticed what was happening mere meters from him. These people had looked up to Percy as a leader and now they were gone and it was all his fault.

Biting the inside of his lip, he knelt down next to a child of Aphrodite. Her blonde hair was matted down with dried blood and her once beautiful face was now marred with cuts and scrapes tarnishing her growing beauty. He didn't know who the girl was but she was no older than thirteen, being forced to fight in a war that she did not understand. With a shaky hand, he brought his fingers down over her glassy blue eyes and swiftly closed them. Hopefully, she would be finding Elysium.

Hesitantly, Percy sat down beside the young child. His sea green eyes were sullen as they looked over the field of death. So many were dead just because he failed at leading his own friends to victory.

"Percy," A raspy voice spoke from behind him. Even as the voice sounded on the verge of exhaustion it played a melodic tune to Percy.

"Wise Girl." His eyes found there way up to his girlfriend. The girl looked worse for wear, with a mixture of dirt, dried blood and monster dust splattered on her face. On her arm was a wound the size of a knife cut and it looked to be painful.

Annabeth threw her knife into the ground and collapsed next to Percy. Her head rested on his shoulder in mere moments and she let out a tired sigh. "The next wave should be here soon."

"I know."

What else could be said? They both knew what was coming. Another batch of monsters that Gaia would send to play with them. Kronos had done the same thing in his assault; tire out the demigods as much as possible before going in for the kill. The battle had been only a little over a year ago but it seemed like a lifetime as Percy thought about it. He had learned so much since then, had made so many friends during that time. He had led a whole different camp in battle as well and protected them from Gaia and the Giants.

"I'm scared." The demigod daughter of Athena admitted to her boyfriend. Not that she would ever let anyone else know but when it was just the two of them it was a special occasion. "What if we don't make it?"

In this scenario, there weren't really any good things to come out if they failed. The underworld would be taken over by Gaia so even if they ended up dying they would just be tortured for eternity. His eyes glanced over to Annabeth who had her eyes closed, no doubt she was trying to get as much rest as possible before the next battle. "We will."

Her eyes snapped open and the curious grey eyes he had seen so many times before stared into his own. It felt like the first time he had ever met her all over again. They were analyzing different outcomes in her head. "I trust you." Her hand slipped into his own and gently squeezed it.

That was all Percy needed, he flashed her a smile. "I'll protect you with everything I have Wise Girl."

A laughter seemed to echo through the field, one that was filled with happiness and sorrow. "You are such a Seaweed Brain." She responded back, her head landing back on his shoulder.

There was a comfortable silence despite everything that was happening around them. The smell of dead bodies had no effect on the two demigods, having lived on the edge their entire life. No matter where the two of them were they always found solace with each other.

Neither knew how long they sat there just staring out over the fields and relishing the other's presence. All that they knew was that they would have wanted no one else to be with them. They were in love, after all, as unlikely as it was. The Son of the Sea and the Daughter of the Wise were not supposed to be together yet here they were, sharing what might be one of their final moments with one another.

"We need to get up." Annabeth mumbled to him after a while. "I came out here to get you so you could raise morale." She admitted to him after a moment.

His eyes flickered back to the bodies all around them. Was it really okay for him to be the one to raise morale? He who had led everyone to their deaths. "How… How many are left?" Percy cursed the voice crack he made. He needed to show a strong front no matter where he was and yet here he was being weak. While he was fine with it being Annabeth of all people seeing it, he needed to grow accustomed to the strong leader act. He had to be the one to pull through, the one that people could trust. Even if he didn't trust himself at the moment.

She tapped her other finger on the ground, while it was a relatively quiet action it was easy to hear on the somber field. "That are able to fight? Roughly only forty. The ones that are injured are hanging back to defend those too hurt to fight. Most of the Apollo healers have already passed out from mere exhaustion, however."

Percy cursed quietly under his breath. Only forty people would be able to fight. That was even less than the amount at the battle of Manhattan. "I see." He murmured to her.

Letting go of her hand, Percy picked himself up from the ground and held out his hand to lift her up. She gladly took it and was heaved up. "Ready to go talk to them Seaweed Brain? Just do your normal joking around and it should work." She told him with a light shoulder check. She had meant it as a joke but they both knew deep down it meant more.

"No need to worry about me Wise Girl." The two headed back towards the small base of operations they had set up.

Upon arrival at the camp they had set up, Percy felt his heart want to plummet to the ground. Morale was truly low. People were quietly sitting together in small groups talking in hushed voices. Eyes were downcast and their meals had barely been touched instead resting weakly in their shaking hands..

Percy froze on the spot as a reality check hit him. These people were on the verge of giving up. This was the last defense of the human people. If Percy allowed himself and everyone else to give up then humanity would be doomed.

"It's worse than I thought it would be. Where is everyone?"

He was glad as his girlfriend knew at once what he was talking about. "Frank and Jason are both in the infirmary, neither of them will be moving any time soon. Hazel and Piper are both with them. Nico is currently doing scouting but by the time he comes back he will most likely pass out from fatigue." There was no point in sugarcoating her words. The news was dire and, unfortunately, something Percy had to hear.

A single hand trembled as it reached up into his hair and pulled it back. There was a lot to think about and with the way things were going they would most likely be overrun by morning. "Wise Girl can you go get me some bottled water?" He asked his girlfriend. The girl shot him a look of curiosity but decided not to question it. At once she set off towards the infirmary tent.

The truth was he needed a moment of himself to think. He knew things were difficult out there but actually seeing the brutality of the war and their casualties was jarring for the demigod. Sighing to himself, Percy walked towards the front entrance of the camp and his eyes stared out.

The sun was shining brightly down on him and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was such a beautiful day out where the trees seemed to glisten in the light and the soft breeze provided a refreshing cooldown from the burning heat. Any other time it would have been one of the best days of Summer.

But not this day. Now, it seemed as if it was only a cruel joke on them.

The bright sun only made him sweat more in his leather strapped armor. The clear skies provided no cover from the heat and allowed the glaring sun to blide the fighting demigods. The once relaxing breeze now carried with it the fetid, rotten smell of dying bodies and monster dust.

No, what he once would have thought was a beautiful day now was defiled by this war.

Tilting his head back to look at the blue sky, he knew what he needed to do. A tear began to run down his eye. It was a suicidal task no doubt but it would allow the other members to get back into the fighting spirit and increase their chances.

A blur on his left appeared and Percy instinctively grabbed it. His eyes widened as he heard a choking sound and quickly let go. "Geez Perce, Did you have to choke me?" The boy hacked out a cough as it took him a bit to regain himself.

Percy for his part looked sheepish, "Sorry Nico, thought it was an enemy."

The son of the death god waved him off. "No worries, everyone is jumpy right now." Nico told Percy. Walking over to a patch of grass and at once sat down. "I'm going to take a long nap after this."

A smirk appeared on Percy's lips. The one who was the most pessimistic of perhaps all of them was now the one who gave Percy an increase of hope.

"Hey Nico-" Percy began but was instantly cut off.

"Don't you dare." Percy shot a quizzical look at him so Nico explained. "I know that look you have on your face Perce. It means you are going to do something incredibly dumb and believe that you don't have a chance of coming back." Nico tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. "Am I wrong?"

A chuckle escaped past Percy's lips before it soon erupted into full on laughter. Percy was unable to stop himself as the laughter continued. It got to the point where people were beginning to turn heads towards him. Most likely they were asking if he had lost it. He didn't really know himself at this point.

Silent tears came to his eyes and Percy had to wipe them away. "Yeah. I think I'm going to do something that is borderline suicidal." Percy admitted to his friend. "Ready to hear me out Death Breath?"

The man in question shrugged. "Your stupid and idiotic plans have a tendency to work, so why not?"

After Percy told him his plan the demigod stared at Percy as if he had grown a third head. "In my life, I've heard and seen you do a lot of dumb shit Percy. That by far tops all of it."

Percy stared down at the ground refusing to meet his eyes. It was something that was dangerous and dumb and he knew he might not come back from it but it was also something that needed to be done. Even if it meant that he was most likely sacrificing himself it meant another few hours for the rest to get recuperated. "Nico…"

The boy pursed his lips together and stared hard into Percy. Neither of the demigods wavered as a silent battle of wills was in place. After a few moments, an angry look grew in Nico's eyes and he angrily stomped on the ground. "Damnit Percy, there is no need to do this."

A slight twitch of Percy's lips appeared. "I'm afraid that there is a need to do this Nico."

"And what are the rest of us supposed to do? What will the others say? What will Annabeth say?" Glaring at the son of the sea god, Nico angrily walked up and grabbed Percy by the shirt. "We can figure something else out."

"What will I say?" A third voice was heard and both males looked over to see Annabeth holding a few water bottles in her hand. She was masking a frown on her lips, her grey eyes held curiosity in them.

Nico let go of Percy's shirt and took a step back. "Tell this dumbass that he's a suicidal idiot just asking to be killed." He angrily pointed a finger at Percy.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Tell me something that I don't know Nico. I've been telling him that for years now." She meant it as a joke but it had a deeper meaning. "Now, what is going on?"

After Percy told his girlfriend his plan, well things did not go as planned in Percy's case. "What type of idiotic Seaweed Brain are you? Why in the world would you think of something that is so dumb? Nico is right, you are trying to get yourself killed! I swear Seaweed Brain if this was any other time I would lock you in a room with your hands tied behind your back and make you think about your actions!" She started out slowly but it began to ramp up and by the end she was screaming at him, not pulling any of her punches.

"Thank you!" Nico threw his hands up in the air, no doubt happy that someone saw his point of view.

Percy couldn't stop the wince as he saw his girlfriend and best friend both agreeing that he was a dumbass. "What other choices do we have?" he demanded of them.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I don't know, maybe keep doing what we are doing? We've held them off long enough as it is. What everyone here has done cannot be for nothing." He told them but neither Percy or Annabeth responded.

Surprisingly Annabeth was quiet. Eventually, she fell to her knees and covered up her eyes with her hands. Percy and Nico watched with silence as they waited for Annabeth to put herself back together.

"There has to be another way" Annabeth mumbled quietly. "There must be something else we can do!" She practically pleaded with them.

Percy looked down at his girlfriend in understanding. Annabeth never showed this kind of emotion in front of anyone but him so it surprised him a bit that she so readily showed her insecurities to Nico. Then again after Tartarus things still weren't entirely the same with any of them, Nico included. Percy figured they probably never would be either.

"Wise Girl" Percy said gently after pulling her to her feet. He knew she wouldn't appreciate anyone else just happening to see her in such a vulnerable position. "You know this is the best choice right now. There are too many injured and I can buy us a few more hours to recover then we can all take her down then." He knew he probably wouldn't be part of that we. She did too if the look on her face was accurate.

"This is stupid" Nico said interrupting their quiet argument. "You're one of the best fighters we have left. If you die then we'll be down even more in terms of strength. It makes no sense to do this." The glare Nico shot Percy would have scared a lesser demigod. Fortunately, Percy always thought that Annabeth had the scariest glare of all so it didn't affect his resolve.

Annabeth began shaking her head in agreement with Nico.

"No. No, there has to be another way. There _has to_. Just give me a few minutes and I'll co-"

However, before Annabeth could even finish speaking the ground around them began shaking and evil laughter sprang forth from an opening crevice. Percy turned just in time to see dirt begin gathering in large clumps of forming body parts with sticks and stones sticking out randomly in the appendages.

"YES!" the voice shouted when her face finally took shape. The demigods openly gaped at the massive 10 foot woman that stared down at them with lidded eyes. Her complexion was a mix between the different dark soils of Half-Blood Hill while her hair was a wild tangle of bark and sticks and vines. She wore a peplos made of leaves and branches and everyone around the hill could feel the power she emanated.

"It's over now puny demigods" Gaia said sleepily. She was now cognizant of everything but fortunately for Percy and the others she still hadn't completely woken up. And that could be all the difference in this fight. "You will all die painful deaths for delaying my awakening!" A harsh laugh came from her which was akin to a psychopath.

Suddenly, a scream came from behind Percy and when he turned he saw a horrifying sight. Looking down into the infirmary was a Roman soldier stuck on a pillar of dirt shot up from the ground. The Roman couldn't remain still as the spike of dirt pierced his stomach and twisted him back and forth like a ragdoll before tossing him into a scrambling group of demigods. Percy could almost see the life drain from his eyes.

"The injured!" Annabeth yelled when she saw Gaia's plan. All around the camp Gaia was targeting those who could fight but were too weak to take on the strong monsters in her army. "We need to get everyone out of here"

Percy nodded in agreement. He wasn't always the smartest guy but even he could see Gaia strategy here. And a dirty one it was too.

"We don't have time to argue about my plan anymore" he yelled to Nico and Annabeth as he turned back to face the Primordial. "You two need to get everyone clear and stop her from hurting any more demigods! I'll distract her here and do what damage I can."

He didn't turn to look at either of them. He knew if he did then there was a chance they could persuade him otherwise and they didn't have time to argue about it anymore. It was now or never.

Right as Percy was about to step forward and challenge Gaia he felt a tugging on his sleeve. He couldn't help turning around and coming face to face with the glaring grey eyes of his beautiful girlfriend. Her fierce expression would normally have given him pause but when she pulled him in for a deep kiss he knew there was nothing but love in her heart.

"If you get yourself killed Seaweed Brain you can bet your ass I'll have Nico resurrect you just so I can kill you again. You come back to me. Together, just like you promised me."

Percy felt his heart swell with emotion at her words. He _would_ do everything he could to get back to her though he seriously doubted he would succeed. But if there was anything in this world he would give everything for it was Annabeth.

Not willing to show his weakness he smirked at her. "You aren't getting rid of me that easily Wise Girl. Who else will annoy you with all their stupid stunts if I'm not around?"

Breaking away, Percy took off before he could back out of his decision. He knew Annabeth and Nico would go down to the injured and begin taking out the spikes of earth Gaia created and start evacuating the demigods. Their home might be ruined after this but at least as many demigods would get free as they could.

The ground beneath his feet still experienced the occasionally tremor but nothing as drastic as a full on earthquake happened. He could hear the screams of his friends and family behind him as they struggled to escape Gaia's attacks while he ran straight towards the howling laughter of the Primordial and her monster army in front of him. He ignored the clinking metal on the dead bodies of his fellow demigods around him.

"Hey Dirt for Brains!" Percy yelled when he approached the goddess. The smile on her face was sickening with her closed eyes and tilted head. She looked like a serial killer in a horror movie with her disturbing appearance. The demigod supposed it wasn't that far off considering her wholesale slaughter of the demigods behind him.

Gaia looked down at Percy with amusement tinging her eyes.

"Ahh, if it isn't my favorite demigod, the son of Poseidon. Thank you for the nosebleed. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be standing here and taking my revenge today." The Primordial mocked him. "Just for that I have decided I'll kill you last. Consider it as me repaying a favor to you."

Percy felt himself color in anger and embarrassment. Stupid Porphyrion and his stupid spear. He managed to get a lucky shot at him and after a few hectic minutes of battles he just so happened to forget about his bleeding nose.

But now he had a chance to redeem his screw up. He would stop Gaia right here, right now and let the others escape.

He sent a silent prayer to the gods hoping they would speed up their retreat.

"Well what can I say? I've always been told my head was full of kelp. Guess now we know there's more in there."

She didn't say anything for a moment but suddenly erupted into laughter at him. The condescension rolling off her was so thick even the dumbest person would be able to tell they being ridiculed.

It was at that moment that Percy made his move. While the Primordial laughed with glee, the demigod of the sea charged the Earth goddess holding nothing back. Riptide was raised high in the air and the sun refracted off the blade so it's bronze glow was subdued to a faint glimmer. Percy roared his battlecry leaving no doubts this was his final battle.

Swinging Riptide down he found the goddess completely defenseless. His sword cut deep into her leg and he managed to slice right through it. Percy jumped away from any retaliatory strikes and watched as the goddess' leg fell away and she was left standing on only one foot.

The monsters behind the goddess quieted their laughter and watched as their leader's own leg was cut clean off. For her part, Gaia stopped laughing herself and looked down to see her stub of a leg come up to on her thigh. She hadn't fallen to the ground but Percy honestly didn't expect her too.

He felt a brief moment of triumph at having crippled his enemy when his eyes widened in shock and his joy quickly turned to dismay. Gaia concentrated her powers for a second and Percy watched as the dirt underneath their feet churned around and began flowing upwards to reattach to her missing leg. In barely any time at all, Mother Earth was now back to being 100% without even a scratch on her.

"Do you see how inevitable it is now Jackson?" She asked arrogantly. "You cannot defeat the Earth!"

"Yeah well your son Antaeus said the same thing and last time I checked he wasn't doing too hot." The son of Poseidon mentioned offhandedly about his half brother, knowing it would piss of Mother Earth even more. Percy had no clue why he was doing this, he just loved to piss off a of the bane of his existence.

It worked like a charm as fire lit in the Goddess of Earth's eyes and she let out a scream that reminded Percy of a harlet. "You...You!" Well if glares could kill, Percy would be ten feet under.

"Sorry." Percy held up his hands, "I swear I didn't do it on purpose, he just wanted to kill me is all."

In her anger, the Goddess of the Earth shot her hands towards Percy. As she did this, vines shot from her hands and headed directly towards him aiming to kill.

The Son of the Sea dodged to his right just managing to avoid her strike. Behind him he heard a loud explosion and, turning, he saw dirt mixed with dead bodies shoot up into the air. It was clear that she had no issues about tossing aside and destroying the dead in her pursuit for Percy's death.

"Hey that would have killed me!" He exclaimed, dodging another blast of vines from the goddess. "Didn't you want to keep me alive for some reason?"

The goddess growled, the amusement in her eyes long gone. "I've changed my mind." She shot another set of vines at Percy which he dodged once again. "Your head will be served to the gods on a silver platter!" She roared out. Throwing up both her hands this time the amount of vines had increased tenfold.

"Ah, crap." Seeing no way out of the attack of the vines, Percy collapsed to the ground and laid down as quickly as possible. His heart was pounding as his eyes were unable to track the vines when they flew right above him. Any lower and they would have taken off his head clean off his shoulders.

After a few seconds, which felt like minutes to the ADHD demigod, the barrage of vines finally stopped. Immediately Percy was on his feet, not giving Gaia any chances to get in position for another attack.

"Missed me" he taunted the Primordial. He knew it was stupid but every second she spent focusing on Percy was another second the rest of the demigods had to retreat.

"AAWWWHH" Gaia screamed aloud. Her body began glowing a vibrant, emerald green and Percy could feel the oppressive aura she exuded. It was wild and untamed like the forests and jungles that once made up the land. The goddess thrust her hands forward once more and Percy saw rocks and dirt coming flying towards him like a waterfall of pain.

Percy braced for impact. It was all he could do this time as her wall of dirt went from his feet to well above his head. He saw giant rocks and dead tree branches come at him intent on breaking his bones and causing him pain. One second it was bright sunshine and the next it was shaded darkness.

"Oomph" Percy grunt as the wall of dirt collided into him. He got swept up in the avalanche of Earth and felt his body being whipped around and tossed about uncontrollably. Two large rocks managed to slam into his ribcage knocking the breath right out of him while a jagged tree branch the size of Percy himself crashed into his arm and managed to make a large cut down his bicep. Blood began to seep down into his shirt and vambrace.

When the torrent of dirt subsided Percy found himself slightly dizzy and struggling to get to his feet. Gaia had obviously put some of her power into the landslide and Percy had difficulty breaking out of the compacted ground.

Growling quietly, Percy felt for the tugging in his stomach that indicated his powers. The goddess had forced him into the woods with her dirt barrage but he wasn't at the river yet. Calling that much water to him now would drain him completely but he did have another power he could call upon. He hadn't done in in over two years but he didn't need the full force of his ability. In fact it was probably better if he didn't try to call everything he could. Her ability would counteract his own most likely.

He closed his eyes in concentration and yanked on his stomach as much as possible. The demigod felt the ground beneath his feet quiver just slightly as if it didn't want to obey his wishes. Considering it was order by the Earth herself that didn't surprise Percy.

The yanking got to be extremely painful then. Gaia must have actively noticed him calling on his Earthshaker powers and was hurrying to reach him in the woods to prevent his escape from the dirt. If she did reach him it was all over. He couldn't let that happen. He pushed all he could into creating just the tiniest of cracks and screamed out with the painful effort as he felt like his stomach was folding in on itself.

Just as the Earth goddess entered his sight he felt the smallest break in the Earth. He attacked it with Riptide and his powers and wiggled his feet around trying to jerk them free. She was closing on his fast now and he had only seconds until it was over.

"AUGHH!" He yelled out just as he managed to rip his left foot out of the dirt. The ground splashed in a spray of dark soil before slowly beginning to reform again in a solid mass but Percy moved quickly and, in just in the nick of time, yanked his right foot out of the ground.

Gaia let out a roar of frustration while Percy heaved a sigh of relief. The goddess stood 15 feet in front of him glaring down with all her hate and malice. Percy gave her a cheeky grin and put on a brave face though deep inside he was in agony.

The cut on his arm wouldn't stop bleeding and the dirt coating it only exacerbated the pain. His breathing became ragged and not just from exerting so much power. He was fairly confident at least two ribs were broken though they hadn't managed to pierce his lungs by luck. His head was still spinning from being caught in the cavalcade of dirt and he felt nauseous.

Worst of all though had be be his exhaustion. He had already been fighting against monsters for hours when Gaia had shown up and now he was forced to use a great deal of his powers to save his own life. It was pure determination and not some small amount of luck that he was able to free himself from her trap. There was no using his geokinesis powers again in this fight. That was his one miracle.

"You will suffer for your insolence demigod" Gaia snarled angrily.

"I've always been told insolence is one of my best qualities" Percy teased back. He squeezed Riptide tight in his hands ready to move in any direction depending on what she did. An idea came to Percy's mind as he felt the river far behind him, perhaps a quarter of a mile or so but it was still far enough that he couldn't use it yet. With a mocking salute and a cheeky grin Percy began to run towards it. "Catch me if you can harlet!"

If it was any other time Percy would have been unable to run but he knew what was on the line. The aching and throbbing in his legs screamed at him to halt in his actions, to take a short breather at least but Percy knew better. Any action of pausing most likely meant his death.

His eyes glanced behind him as loud cracking was heard. As if it was a fault line, everywhere Gaia went she created a large crack within the ground. While he couldn't see the goddess he knew she was right on his tail.

At the sight of the water, Percy withheld the grin that was threatening to leak out. Only a little more was needed and he would gain quite a bit of strength back and hopefully gain more time for the demigods to escape.

"Where do you think you are going?" A voice barked at him. Percy's eyes widened in surprise at the goddess cut him off. He hadn't expected her to stop in front of him.

At once his step faltered and he took a step back. The goddess was now between him and the river, giving no room to sneak past her. "Oh come on." Percy complained. It was just his luck that the goddess would stop him from achieving his goal.

Her lips quirked up, amusement in her eyes. "You think a little power boost will be able to defeat me Perseus Jackson?"

"To be fair, I'm not actually trying to defeat you-"

"Just waste enough time for your little friends to get away, yes I know." She finished his statement.

His mouth shut, it wasn't too hard to have figured out but still, hearing her say it was annoying to Percy. The dark brown eyes almost had a fire in them that was dancing. While her hands were in a combat stance they were relaxed.

Percy's eyes widened ever so slightly, what had she been hiding from him. Had she expected this to happen? It was perhaps something that Percy would have done but he also could have asked his friends to fight with him. There was no possible way that she could have predicted this to happen, right?

The demigod looked back to Mother Earth and he clicked his tongue in annoyance, the Fates were really not on his side at the moment. "Do you have to be so damn persistent?" He asked with pursed lips, his mind going a million miles per minute.

Like a cat, the goddess raised her hands up in the air and stretched out. While he was within striking distance he was in no shape to actually go in for the kill. She really knew how to grate his nerves. "I already knew what your plan was Perseus. It wasn't hard to see." She told him, rolling her eyes. "Anyone with half a brain could have figured that out. The heroic demigod swoops in and saves the day while everyone else flees."

The goddess's lip curled up into a smile. A smile that was befitting of a tightfisted tyrant. "Let's just say I sent them a little gift."

Sea green eyes seemed to age fifty years. The once amusing and teasing game that was going on between them instantly shattered. His eyes became wild with a promise there would be no remorse. "What did you do?" His voice whispered into the wind and was carried to the goddess.

Her smile widened and her eyes became that of a screwball. "It was just a little gift, nothing more and nothing less." She brought her hand to her lips and her eyebrows shot up. "Unless you think that she wouldn't be able to handle my little gift! It was just a small one. My children will have so much fun slaughtering her."

She closed her eyes and tapped her chin, a grin on her lips. "Perhaps I should have sent my pets out instead? Then maybe they would have-" A gasp was heard in the field. She was frozen in place as she hesitantly looked down at the blade that was glowing in the sunlight, creating a light tingle where her heart would be. "You-"

"I wasn't going to try and defeat you Gaia." Percy admitted, a sinister look in his eyes that promised pain appeared. He shoved the blade further into the goddess creating another gasp from her. "A titan being defeated by a demigod is one thing but a primordial being defeated by a demigod? Oh my, now that might actually make the Olympus news." He told her mockingly, shoving the blade in even deeper.

"I… can't die… from a puny… sword." She told him, flinging her hand onto the blade and trying to push it out.

Percy held steady however, refusing to allow the blade to move. "I know. _To storm or fire, the world must fall."_ He told her, repeating the lines from the prophecy. Not only that but as he had already seen while she was connected to the ground she was completely immortal, able to heal any damage or wound she received. Even now her internal organs were fighting to push the blade out from her body. This would be one of the toughest challenges that Percy would have to do. Even he didn't know if he would be able to pull it off.

"What do you think … you are doing?" She grunted out. While she was still healing he was sure it still hurt like a bitch.

A half smile graced his lips. "Killing myself." He told her. Planting his feet into the ground and getting comfortable he took a deep breath.

Gaia's eyes lit up, she didn't know what he was preparing to do but no doubt she knew it wasn't good for either of them. Immediately she began thrashing around, trying to yank the sword out of her. "Perseus Jackson! Let me go!" She ordered in a haughty tone, ignoring all the pain she was receiving right now. "Let me go now!"

"No can do Grandma." He told her, reaching far into his gut and waiting for the familiar tug on it. It would perhaps be one of the last times he would be able to pull this off so he had to make do with what he had.

After what felt like hours but in reality was only seconds, the flowing water came to a standstill. Rising up from the ground, the water formed a blade. "What are you doing Percy Jackson?" For the first time since Percy had seen her, he saw true fear in her eyes. The brown orbs were terrified as they looked all around. "Percy Jackson let me down right now!" She growled once more but now there was no threat in her words. Only hesitation and wariness.

Cocking his head to the side, he gave her a bitter smile. "Never underestimate humanity Gaia. and never take your eyes off of your opponent." As if on an unspoken queue, the water blade swept underneath them and rose them both off the ground.

The goddess began making choking sounds with her eyes glazed. Throwing her head back she let out a scream. This wasn't a scream of anger but one of pain. Both of her hands went up to the blade to push it out once again yet there was little strength behind it. "S-S-Stop, please, I'll give you anything! Women, money it's all yours! Please!" She began to beg. The brown orbs had tears running down them. As it went on the strength she was using to push the blade out of her chest was deteriorating.

Pursing his lips together, Percy ignored all of her pleas. He was much more focused on making sure that he had enough energy to finish this off before anything else could happen.

"Here comes the hard part." He murmured out. The tugging on his gut increased as dark clouds began to form over head and blot out the sunny day.

The sound of thunder echoed through the valley while the beginnings of tiny raindrops began falling from the heavens. No longer could the sun be seen as the sky above the woods turned a gloomy dark and gray.

"Jackson." The goddess had stopped crying but the wet mud tears were still visible on her cheeks. "Please. Don't do this."

"Don't fuck with my family." Was his only response. His eyes went from the goddess to the clouds above, no doubt Zeus was helping him somewhat. "Blast me bitch."

With a tug of his stomach Percy cried out in pain before the blast even hit them. The only warning was a crackle, much louder than before as it came down right on top of them. Percy could see nothing, feel nothing. He didn't even know if he was alive at the moment, all that mattered was he held onto the sword that was lodged in the chest of his enemy.

Everything was hazy. As Percy tried to open his eyes he was met with everything moving at a million miles per minute. He was dizzy and wanted to keep his eyes to stop the spinning. He wanted to cry out in frustration and pain from the strike. Hades, he didn't even know if Gaia was defeated yet. All he knew was that he wanted to go home, see his mom and have some delicious blue cookies with his girlfriend. Maybe even cuddle afterwards.

He knew that had to wait though.

Forcing his eyes open, the trees and the sky above him slowly came to a stand still. He was laying on his back with the grass underneath him and rain gently pelting his face.

A sudden realization hit that he no longer was holding onto his sword, which also meant he no longer had Gaia in his possession. Trying to raise himself to his feet, Percy let out a cry as he flopped painfully back onto the ground. Everything in his body refused to listen to Percy's command. "Move damnit." He whispered to himself, he still had so much to do and there was only so much time to do it all.

Using his shoulder blade and left arm, he forced himself through enough effort to roll on his right side. While there was no sight of his sword, there _was_ a person lying faceup in the water. The river had managed to fill itself on its own and now it lay unmoving. The goddess was laying in the river motionless but with eyes wide open.

"All I wanted was to fix my world, was that too much to ask for mother?" Her eyes were staring upwards, not focused on Percy. It was as if she was talking to another being. "All I wanted was for my world to be fixed. My home to be repaired to the healthy state it was once in Perseus Jackson. Was that too much to ask for?" She murmured but he heard her loud and clear.

"Killing everyone was not the solution." He argued back, his voice hoarse and raspy as he replied to her.

The brown orbs that had been filled with so much hate and anger landed on Percy. "Perhaps. And yet I am unsatisfied right now. Knowing that I am dying and it is impossible to repair my home." Her tone was sorrowful as it spoke this. Her eyes watched him for a moment longer before changing and looking back to the sky. Slowly and shakily her right hand went up to the sky, "Mother? Will you help me?" Her voice cried out. "Please mother, help." She begged.

Percy watched with no emotion as nothing happened. It was a desperate attempt for her to get some sort of recognition before she passed away and he didn't want to intrude on that.

Muddy tears began to run down her face and began to mix with the river. There was no response from her own mother and even Percy could understand what it was like to not have your pleas heard. Especially if they were towards a family member. "Brothers? Sisters? Will you help me?" Gaia's voice once more called out. The crying grew louder.

"Somebody? Anybody?" She pleaded agonizingly.

The demigod closed his eyes, the urge to sleep was increasing and he was struggling to hold consciousness. No doubt Gaia would be dead momentarily unless someone came and got her out of the water.

A loud crack made Percy's eyes snap open. A shiver of fear traveled down his spine as he came face to face with a man staring down at him with glowing yellow eyes. He was a man in the prime of his life with a fit body and defined muscles. But as noticeable as those were the scary part was the staff he carried on him. It was easily seven feet long with etchings of clocks and different beings in various stages of what Percy assumed were their life cycles. At the very end of the staff rested a golden hourglass filled with tiny specks of sand.

"You are powerful young one." The tone of the voice was humble and quiet. The eyes of the god pierced through Percy and he felt himself fidget under the being's stare. Percy's hand searched all around for his sword but he only came up with mud and dirt. "It is interesting that a demigod was able to defy fate. I congratulate you, slayer of Gaia."

"Brother? Is that you? Chronos?" Gaia's trembling voice echoed through the area.

The god spared one last look at the demigod and move away. He took a few steps towards the river and turned his back to Percy as if he was no threat. "Indeed sister, it is I. Mother is not pleased with you. You broke our rules."

"I know." She whispered back with no hesitancy. "I'll accept any form of punishment just please! Move me to the land!" She begged him, her hand falling from the sky and slapping into the water.

Percy could only watch with wide eyes. Was everything he did for naught? Was this Primordial going to save Gaia and wreak havoc on humanity in retribution?

"I have a message from mother Gaia." The tone of the man had changed now, gone was the gentle and humble tone and in its place was one full of sorrow. "You tried to kill mortals Sister."

"Chronos just help me damnit! You can take me to mother after this!" She slammed her hands on the water angrily as she threw a tantrum.

"Mother does not want you back Gaia." Percy didn't realize it but when he heard those words a breath of relief passed through his lips, hopefully it was as it sounded like.

The goddess did not speak any words for a moment. Instead she stared up to the sky. "I-I see." The words were so quiet that Percy almost missed them.

"I apologize sister. I hope to see you in the Void one day." Chronos turned around from his sister. While there were no tears in the man's eyes he looked to have aged quite a few years despite being an immortal. With a gentle nod to Percy, the man began to walk away from the scene.

"Wait!" Gaia called out to her brother. Her breathing was becoming ragged and it was clear she was almost gone. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like she was going to die quick enough. A sudden shiver traveled down Percy's spine. He had a funny feeling he wasn't going to like what the goddess was about to say. "Kill him! He is not innocent! He killed my children! He must pay for his crimes against me!"

Fear gripped Percy to the bones and he stared at the goddess in disbelief. Was this really going to be his end? After everything he'd been through, two wars, countless quests, Tartarus, this was how he died? He was going to break his promise to Annabeth because of a final, petty act of vengeance?

The Primordial of time turned around. He looked at Gaia with somber eyes as if he knew she would ask this of him. Maybe he really did. He was the God of Time after all. "Mother has forbade his death. None of the Primordials are allowed to kill him sister."

A cry was heard out as she angrily splashed the water with her last bit of energy. A final act of defiance towards her foe. "Damn you Perseus Jackson!" She screamed out. "Brother please! If you can't kill him then find another way to cause him pain! He must be punished! Let him never see his loved ones again as he has taken mine away from me! An eye for an eye. A fate worse than death! I...I!" Her words came to a gurgling halt as she finally drifted away into the void. Percy looked over at her and saw her final moments of life as her eyes became dead and lifeless.

It was officially over now. The war was at an end and he could already hear Gaia's monster army shrieking in anger and retreating out into the world. He had done it at last.

He had slain Mother Earth.

Despite the joy he knew he should feel at such a triumph, he only felt dread as Chronos stared down at him. Gaia might be gone but the threat wasn't over yet. Percy's eyes looked all around trying to avoid his eyes but their yellow glow was too captivating. With crinkles around his eyes, the god gave him a deep frown. "Perseus Jackson." The man began, his face making clear his feelings toward the demigod. "I am sorry for what you have gone through, but I cannot just do nothing at the loss of a family member."

Percy felt his breath hitch at the declaration. It sounded like his own words to Gaia during their brief fight. "You really can." Percy argued weakly, "You can just walk away and act like you never saw this,"

"I could." Chronos agreed and yet at those words Percy felt his heart drop. "However I do not believe I could sleep well with my sister's killer just walking around. Mother has forbid your death but there are other punishments I can bestow upon you. For the sake of my sister, I carry out her final wish."

The son of the sea closed his eyes. So this was how he was going out huh? Take down a big boss only for another to take its place. Well he was from the sea. He understood there was always a bigger fish.

He reached down into his pocket and found Riptide had returned to him. If he was going down then at least he would go down fighting. Uncapping Riptide Percy struggled to his feet and brought his blade up to defend himself as best he could.

Chronos looked back at him with no emotion instead bringing his staff upwards and began forming some kind of glowing white circle. With each passing second the circle grew in size and power until Percy could hear it thrumming with energy.

Taking a small step forward Percy knew this was the end. He was in far too much pain and was too exhausted to do anything more.

"This is the end for you in this world Son of the Sea." Chronos intoned in a deep voice.

Sending one last glare the Primordial's way, Percy made one last ditch effort to strike at Chronos. Pushing through all his aches and pains he surged towards the god with Riptide raised high. He thought he had a perfect angle for this blow. Chronos was only a few feet away and whatever he was doing left him open to Percy's attack.

Unfortunately, Gaia got her final revenge.

Slipping in the mud Percy crashed hard into the ground and came short of Chronos. He turned his head up just in time to see those yellow eyes look at him with an infinity of knowledge and power about to be unleashed.

"Farewell Perseus Jackson, Slayer of Gaia. May you find despair away from your loved ones."

Chronos turned his staff down at Percy and the demigod could only groan as the white light opened into a brilliant circle and touched him. It didn't hurt like he thought it might but he soon became lost in the nothingness that was this blank landscape.

His final thoughts were regret he couldn't see Annabeth or his mom one last time. He hoped they found peace and happiness in the world. Doubtful considering the Olympians but they both deserved it nonetheless.

With a smile on his face that he had at least saved them, he closed his eyes and fell into the barren abyss.

And then, everything turned black.

 _ **A/N:**_

 ** _Hello all, as you can see, I have started this new story. But… I'm not doing it alone! This is a collaboration with my friend Trayia. We both have been wanting to write a PJO/FT crossover for a while and came together to come up with this story._**

 ** _Trayia and I plan on writing this on a two-week schedule though that is of course always subject to change. You can check out my profile to see when the next expected publishing date will be._**

 ** _Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter. Please leave us a review with your thoughts and opinions._**

 ** _We have a discord if you want to chat with us! apnWwpG_**


	2. Chapter 1: New World, Same body?

Chapter 1: New World, Same body?

The sun beat down on Percy's face, giving him a rude awakening. His body ached and groaned with every miniscule twitch and he couldn't help moaning in pain. Bringing his hand up, he slapped himself in the face in an effort to block out the rays of golden sunshine.

He didn't want to open his eyes, instead he wanted to sleep the day away and pretend he had never woken up in the first place. Unfortunately, the bed he was laying on was particularly stiff and dusty. Of course, when he did eventually open his eyes he realized why.

Underneath him was the ground; rocks and leaves and branches and everything else that entailed. Trees were covering the nearby surroundings though the branches didn't extend the canopy enough to cover the sunlight. Some nearby insects chirped annoyingly in the growing heat of the day. He found himself in a forest much like the one at Camp.

 _Camp_ he thought.

With a sudden burst of energy, Percy sprang up from the ground and tried to see where he was.

Everywhere he looked he saw nothing but more trees and rocks and leaves. Turning upward, he saw the bright blue of the sky with a golden, yellow sun shining down happily. He thought he caught a glimpse of a strangle animal in the distance but it took off before he could even identify what it was.

Reaching down, Percy shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out Anaklusmos as fast as he could. If this forest was as active as it appeared to be then he wanted to be prepared for anything that might come at him.

That's when he noticed the oddities with his clothes. His pants were suddenly baggy on him. The legs extended far behind his feet and if not for his belt his pants would probably be around his ankles right now. They were already loose around the waist as it was. His short-sleeve shirt had turned into a long-sleeved one and the neckline was almost like it was overly stretched out.

Looking down at his feet he realized a few other strange discrepancies he hadn't initially. Chiefly among them being he seemed closer to the ground than he remembered. He could have sworn that his feet were at least another foot away from his face.

 _What in Hades is going on?_ He questioned.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he begin to get small flashbacks in his mind about his current situation. Percy could make out images of moving boulders and vines flying towards him. He could imagine some rotting smell clogging his nose that just wouldn't go away. Looking down at his body he noticed a distinct lack of cuts and scrapes he was sure he received the day before.

 _Gaia!_ He thought whipping himself around. He couldn't see the primordial goddess anywhere and there was a distinct lack of a river too. Percy was sure he was by the Camp's river before waking up.

He tried to recall everything that had happened since yesterday. The demigod remembered the fight on Half-Blood Hill against the monster hordes with the Greeks and Romans. He could remember the tired and worn-out faces of his friends. Jason and Frank on sickbeds; Nico looking exhausted but still using his Shadow Travel to scout the enemy; Piper trying to motivate everyone with her Charmspeak and Hazel going around making makeshift slings and braces for the injured.

Percy remembered Leo sailing in the air trying to stop Gaia only for Octavian to shoot an onager of Imperial Gold at the goddess and miss, killing both of them instead of Mother Earth.

Perhaps worst of all, he remembered the tired and defeated look Annabeth gave him in their quiet moment alone on top of the Hill before he left to fight the Primordial.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled out loud. His voice echoed throughout the mysterious forest. "Annabeth! Where are you!?"

Only the chirping of cicadas answered him.

"Nico! Jason!" he yelled again. "Frank! Chiron! Anyone!" he continued growing more and more frustrated with each name he yelled out.

Still, nobody responded.

Realizing that nobody was coming to find him, he knew he'd have to go and find them. The sun was directly above him so he figured it was probably midday by this point which meant he didn't have any sense of direction to rely on. Taking the first step, he literally had no idea where he was going.

With each passing step more and more seemed to be coming back to him. The crazy face of Gaia stood out to him with her screwed up eyes and her malicious smile. Percy quickly shoved the image of that Roman soldier being impaled by a stake of dirt out of his mind. That memory could stay forgotten as far as he was concerned.

He remembered cutting through her leg and how it completed healed itself with the nearby dirt and how she whipped up that avalanche of rock and dirt to send him into the woods. The Son of the Sea could still feel the anger he felt towards the goddess when he found out she had sent a surprise attack on his friends during their fight.

He picked up the pace wanting to find the nearest source of life. His walk turned into a jog which quickly became a run. Percy had to roll up the excess length of his pants to avoid tripping.

This felt so similar suddenly. Running through the woods brought him back to running towards the river at Camp to stop Gaia. It was like he was reliving everything that had happened yesterday.

Bursting through a thicket of trees, Percy found himself at a running river except this time there was no crazy Goddess threatening to destroy the world. The only sound was the bubbling of the river and the chirping of insects in the blistering sun. Percy could feel a breeze in the air that whipped up the water creating small rapids that splashed against rocks in a gentle mist.

Looking around cautiously, the demigod made his way closer to the riverbank. He felt extremely tired for such a short run which was very odd considering he had only gone maybe a could hundred yards. It couldn't have been more than the length of four or five football fields. Something was definitely wrong with him.

Falling to his knees on the banks Percy brought his hand down into the cool water and quickly splashed some onto his face, throwing his head back into the air. He felt more invigorated than he had in his life, and that included his swims in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and even after he emerged from his dip in the River Styx. This river was the most pure form of water that Percy had ever experienced in his life. It was so clean it made the Hudson River seem like a toxic waste dump, which to be fair was somewhat true but humans had done a lot to clean it up as best they could over the decades.

Wanting to experience the full sensation of the river, Percy wasted no time in jumping in and laying down against some submerged boulders. The rapids weren't that strong but if Percy wasn't paying attention he could easily float downriver without even realizing it.

As the water cascaded over his body he felt the aches and pains of yesterday leave him. Working it's wondrous magic, wherever the water touched, the cuts and scrapes from the fighting were slowly healed up until they were nothing but new skin and distant memories. He heaved a sigh of relief as his body regained its energy and stamina.

He only laid down in the river for a couple of minutes but that was all he needed to feel like a new person again.

Standing up, Percy willed the water off his body and, with surprising response, the water shot off his body faster than it ever had before. Usually he felt a tugging in his stomach and experienced even minor resistance to his commands over water but when he willed the water off him this time it was as if it was eager to obey him.

Wanting to experiment a bit, Percy brought his hand up and commanded the river to obey his wishes. As his hand rose so too did the river in a large gathering of water with the same appearance. He closed his hand in a fist and the water mimicked his movements in real time with no delay. Every inch he moved his hand the water responded in kind.

He found that if he willed the water to increase in size it grew to whatever imagine he had in his mind. The same was true for the opposite. Percy let his fist drop and the water corresponded with him.

He looked around a bit unsure as to what was happening to him. First his body seemed different and now his power seemed stronger than it ever had before. Something was very wrong though he didn't know what exactly.

Turning to get out of the river finally, Percy tripped against some rocks below him and crashed back into the cooling river. The good thing about his new power of water was he could easily get it to cushion his fall. The downside was it brought him very close to the surface and for the first time in a few days Percy got a good look at himself.

And what he saw was shocking to say the least.

The clear river reflected back Percy's face with perfect detail. The only problem with that was the face looking back at him was not the face he remembered having yesterday. In fact, it had been a couple years since he remembered looking like this.

Staring back at the demigod was still himself but as he remembered looking like when he first arrived at Camp Half-Blood when he was 12. His cheeks no longer had the same gaunt appearance to them after he and Annabeth returned from Tartarus; in fact they were a little chubby actually. His hair was still it's shiny, messy black with no hints of gray from holding up the World or golden monster dust or dirt from his fighting.

The one thing that didn't seem to change though was his eyes. The sea-green color that swirled like a hurricane as his mother and Annabeth had always told him remained the same. There was an added weight to them though and looking down into those stormy irises he saw all his years of fighting and hardships staring back at him.

 _What the Hades!_ He thought to himself in shock. Percy quickly began examining his body all over to see all the changes.

Aside from the obvious changes to his height and weight, Percy began noticing small details. His branding from Camp Jupiter was completely erased. The Trident and marks for his years of service missing, as if he never received them in the first place. All the cuts and scars he accumulated over the years during his training at Camp and his quests were replaced with unblemished skin. Even the star-shaped scar from the Pit-Scorpion Luke set on him at the end of his first year at Camp Half-Blood disappeared.

None of this made sense to Percy. He tried to reason out why he was suddenly twelve years old again but it wasn't until he remembered what happened at the end of his fight with Gaia that things clicked into place.

Yellow eyes. Percy distinctly remembered glowing yellow eyes looking down at him with power beyond anything he ever experienced. And then darkness. That hole the man created swallowed him up and must have sent him here along with changing his age.

And then those final words he uttered:

" _Farewell Percy Jackson, Slayer of Gaia. May you find despair away from your loved ones."_

Who was the man? Where exactly had he sent Percy? Why did he de-age Percy back to when he was 12? The demigod couldn't remember anything else about him aside from his eyes and his final words though. He figured he'd remember those until the day he finally died.

A feeling of hopelessness enveloped Percy as he just sat in the river as everything he could remember came back to him. He was alone now. His friends were gone and he had no way of finding them. No Connor or Travis to play a small prank and lift everyone's spirit. There was no Nico or Jason or Thalia to share the burdens of leadership anymore. No more mom to support him and give him words of comfort. And no more Annabeth to watch his back and anchor him to the world.

Realizing that he didn't have anyone anymore, Percy let himself cry for the first time in many years. As Percy cried the sun slowly began its descent towards the horizon.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Percy dragged himself out of the water and began walking. To where? He had no idea. He had no destination in mind and barely any willpower to continue on. What did one do when their entire world was just ripped out from under them?

His current situation reminded him a lot of when he was kidnapped by Hera and forced to go to Lupa and the Romans. The only real difference, aside from the obvious 'this being a new world situation', was that this time his memory was completely intact. Before, he had a goal; get to Camp Jupiter and recover his memories. But he had no such thing this time.

This forest was unlike any other he had heard of, though it's not like he spent his entire life living in the woods either. Everything about this place was too serene, too pure. It was as if this world was untainted by the technology and evolution of humans.

He drudged along trying not to let his dark thoughts consume his mind. This place was nothing like Tartarus and he would never want to go back there but right now the sense of loneliness he felt could only be compared to the dark realities of that pit of Hell.

A small noise called out in the nearby woods suddenly.

"Grandeeney! Grandeeney!"

Percy's ears perked up at the voice. It sounds so quiet and soft even if it was yelling aloud. Whoever it was, they were upset about something as well. The demigod looked around trying to identify where the noise was coming from. At the very least there was somebody here with him and maybe he could ask a few questions.

"Grandeeney! Where are you?! Please come back!"

The demigod picked up his pace in an effort to find the voice. It sounded close by but he still needed to get through trees and fallen branches before he finally found it.

Standing 20 feet in front of Percy was girl who couldn't have been older than six or seven. She had dark blue hair that came just to her shoulders in a bob cut with long bangs that covered her forehead and framed her face. The white shirt she wore was a bit dirty, as if she had been walking around for a little while, and her blue shorts ended just short of her knees revealing some minor cuts and scrapes on her legs.

It was her eyes that drew Percy's attention though. They were big and brown much like his mother's eyes. The only thing he found wrong with them was the numerous tears leaking out of them.

"Grandeeney!? Why did you leave me!?" the young girl yelled again. She tried to wipe the tears from her face but they were falling out too quickly for her to make any progress.

Percy just stood there a moment unsure about what to do. He had never been good at comforting girls, Annabeth could certainly attest to that. The girl hadn't noticed him yet so he could sneak away though he wouldn't be able to get any of his questions answered. Then again, could he honestly live with himself if he left a six year old girl alone in the woods?

He knew the answer to that.

"Umm… hello?" he said at last drawing attention to himself. He silently cursed himself for the greeting.

Upon hearing his voice, the girl stopped her crying temporarily and looked up at him. She still had tears in her eyes but now she'd looked at him with uncertainty.

He gulped when she didn't say anything. She just continued to watch him and let silent tears stream down her face. "Why… umm… why are you crying?" he asked when the silence got to be too awkward for him.

That seemed to released the floodgates. Immediately the young girl sprinted towards him and began sobbing harder than before. He couldn't make out many of her words, her tears and hiccups prevented coherent sentences, not to mention that having her face stuffed into his shirt muffled her voice further.

However, what he could make out was tough to comprehend though something he had seen many times in his life unfortunately. Most of his family could relate to it one way or another.

"She left me!" the girl shouted. "She left me all alone!" She squeezed tightly to his back and pressed herself further into his shirt.

Percy's heart went out to the girl. Whoever she was, she was abandoned. Just like he was. Just like every other demigod was.

He pulled her a bit closer to him and gave her a small squeeze back. The demigod tried rubbing her back gently in imitation of what his own mother would do for him when he was upset. Percy even tried muttering small words of comfort, though he knew there never would be words enough to express the sentiments.

"It… It will be ok" he said stuttering. "You're fine and I bet this Grand weenie is fine too. They're probably looking for you too." he said hoping some optimism would cheer her up. She really was laying those tears on thick. The entire lower half of his shirt was a dark orange now while the top remained its vibrant neon color.

It was a couple more minutes before the young girl calmed down. She still clung tightly to him but Percy could tell she wasn't crying as much and she didn't hiccup quite as badly anymore.

"Grandeeney" the girl said at last.

"Huh?" Percy responded.

Blue hair pulled back from his stomach just enough to look up at him. Her brown eyes met his and though they were still glassy, they no longer leaked tears.

"Her name. My mother's name is Grandeeney. Not Grand weenie."

She didn't sound angry about correcting him but he couldn't say for sure. After all, he did just meet this girl. And he knew he'd be upset at anyone who got his mother's name wrong.

"Oh. Erm… sorry" he said. Percy brought his free arm up and rubbed the back of his head in discomfort. It served to make his already messy hair even more disheveled.

Now things were really awkward. This girl was still clinging to him in a hug though she looked at him as if she might break again in any minute.

Deciding that an introduction would probably be best if she wasn't going to let go, Percy introduced himself.

"I'm Percy" he said at last.

"I'm Wendy" she answered back. Her eyes still looked at his but she seemed a bit calmer now that they knew each other. Or at least knew each other's names. She was still six after all.

Percy hoped that saying hello would have made her more open to talking but it seemed to do the opposite. Now, Wendy seemed very shy and embarrassed by her actions though it didn't seem to stop her from hugging him.

The demigod cleared his voice hoping to release the awkward air.

"Sooo…" he said drawing out the syllables and not really sure where to go. He had wanted to ask her questions about this world and this place but how much could a six year old actually know?

Pulling away, Wendy finally let go of the hug and put her head down. "I need to find Grandeeney" she said. It seemed like she had more she wanted to say but couldn't bring herself to. Instead, Wendy shuffled her feet back and forth a few times in nervousness.

Percy might have looked twelve but he still had the mental age of a seventeen year old. He wasn't a genius by any stretch of the definition but it also didn't take a genius to figure out what Wendy wanted to ask.

Taking a deep breath Percy gave her a small smile. He really wanted to know what was going exactly but he couldn't just ignore this girl either. He figured he could maybe spare a couple hours or maybe a few days to figure out where this girls mother disappeared too.

"Do you want some help?" he asked with fake cheeriness. To an adult it would be clear he didn't really want to do this but to six year old Wendy it flew right over her head.

She gave him a teary nod before grabbing his hands and pulling him along down the dirt path they were on.

And as one, Percy and Wendy began their journey not realizing just how long or where it would take them.

* * *

Percy knew he should have asked about it sooner. He saw the slightly sharper than normal canine teeth Wendy had when they found some food he deemed safe enough to eat but he figured that was just probably something she was born with. He noticed that she seemed a bit fairer of skin than normal but just figured she didn't spend a lot of time out in the sun. All simple things really that he easily dismissed in the first few days of their journey together. The demigod just figured Wendy would look like her mother and that's where she got these traits from her.

Turns out he was right but also completely wrong at the same time.

When after a few days he finally asked what her mother looked like, to say he was shocked in learning she was a dragon would be a vast understatement.

At first, Percy just stared at Wendy in disbelief. A dragon? Raising a little girl? Maybe to eat her when she got a little bit older. That's what the dragons he knew about might do if they didn't just give into their instincts and eat the demigod outright.

Then he got a little bit more to the story.

Wendy was abandoned very early on by both her parents; she assumed from birth though she didn't have any way to confirm that. Grandeeney found her and adopted Wendy and raised her until a few days ago. When Wendy woke up that day she couldn't find Grandeeney anywhere. She yelled and screamed throughout the forest but Percy was the only other one she came into contact with. It also seemed that Wendy couldn't remember everything about her life either. She had gaps in her memory and she didn't know what was supposed to go there.

Percy could relate.

He had told her a bit about his own life though he left out his demigod nature. She didn't need to know about that and would probably just bring unwanted attention to him. He explained about how his own dad had left him and his mom before he was born though he later met him in life. He talked about his friends at a camp where he went and explained all the fun activities he did there like sword fighting and rock climbing. He left the part about lava running down the rock climbing wall out though. He didn't want to bring up any embarrassing stories about falling down because he was slower than burning rock.

Wendy seemed in awe of some of the stories he told about camp. It probably helped that he might have downplayed some of the beatdowns he took from Annabeth and Clarisse too to make him look better.

He offered to show her a few moves but she seemed really hesitant. It became clear to him pretty quickly that she didn't like confrontation all that much which he found endearing considering she had a dragon for a mother.

Right now it was raining outside and Percy and Wendy were huddled up under a tree trying to avoid the weather. The rain wasn't affecting the demigod badly - he did get an energy boost from the water after all - but Wendy was shivering like crazy. They didn't have any real protection from the elements though Wendy did have a small backpack of supplies she was carrying around on her. Percy only had Riptide and the clothes on his back.

"Coldddd" Wendy said stuttering. It was a cold night out too. Without a thermostat to tell exactly, Percy didn't know the temperature but with the rain he could guess it was in the low 50s or mid to high 40s.

"Come here" Percy said with his arms wide open. Wendy hadn't really touched him since that first day but there was no hesitation now as she climbed into his arms and curled up into a ball for protection. She was still shaking but seemed to take comfort in his warmth.

The son of Poseidon grabbed the sleeping bag Wendy had been carrying in her backpack, the only one they had, and wrapped it around them in an effort to keep the heat in. He had avoided this as he didn't want to use his powers needlessly but it was clear this was a situation that definitely demanded their use.

With a clear mind, Percy willed the rain to completely avoid Wendy and himself essentially creating a barrier around them. It was like a small ball formed around them in a protective cocoon. Percy felt a small steady drain on his power but he knew he could keep this up till morning if necessary.

When Wendy realized that the rain had stopped she opened her eyes to look around. Then they bulged out wide when she saw the ball of water around them and the rain gathered in shield to protect them from the downpour. The young girl turned her head to look at Percy and the demigod gave her a cheeky grin before pulling her back down to his chest. It was obvious she had questions but Percy didn't feel like answering them tonight. There was always tomorrow.

"You get some sleep Wendy" he said hiding a yawn. He didn't want her to see just how tired he was too.

The girl didn't say anything instead nodding her head before yawning herself and began her descent into slumber.

She did mutter a tiny "thank you Percy" before sleep consumed her entirely, bringing a smile to the demigod's face. He gave her a small hug in answer before he settled in for a long night of protecting them from the rain.

* * *

Percy usually tried to pretend that he knew what he was doing and where he was going. He knew the value of not showing weakness, especially when he had people looking up to him. However, looking around now, the demigod could honestly say he had no idea what the Hades was going on.

Standing in front of Percy was a large building in the shape of a cat's head. Even calling it a building might be too much of a stretch really. It was basically a canvas tent with two connecting side tents each with large cat's ears sticking up in the middle. Two large windows rested just above the tent opening that cast an eerie orangish glow looking almost like cat's eyes.

It seemed whoever these people were took their love of cats even further because they added ornamental stones and ruffles around the entryway. The top of the flap had a black stone that was situated right between the odd eye-looking windows leaving little doubt that it was supposed to be a nose while whoever lived in the tent ruffled up the top corners in a curve that made the entryway itself look like a cat's mouth.

Why these people seemed to love cats made no sense to the demigod but they were the first people he and Wendy had seen since coming out of the woods so he wasn't going to insult their crazy theme. At least not openly.

As Percy and Wendy made their way down to the town Percy was pleased to see that not everything had the cat theme. The town itself rested at the base of a small rocky formation giving it plenty of defense to the north and the heavily forested woods to the south that they just came from. Thick wooden watchtowers ringed the village in a protective circle.

The roads themselves were made of granite stones tiled offset from one another and about the size of concrete blocks. Some of houses making up the path to the main tent were made of wood while a few were also made of canvas tent and almost all of them were painted a mix of earthy colors blending to give a distinct exotic feel. Honestly, looking around at everything Percy was reminded a bit of Piper.

However, as he was taking everything in, one thing became very clear to Percy.

Wherever this place was, it was nothing like any town or city he'd ever seen.

To the demigod, everything seemed a bit primitive. As far as he could tell, there didn't seem to be any cars or other modern transportation methods. He couldn't see anything run by electricity now that he was paying close attention. There did seem to be running water going to the main pavilion however so at least things weren't completely backward.

Wendy was looking around in just as much wonder as Percy was and holding his hand tightly. Her grip was iron and she was walking very close to him but he indulged her shyness. It had been a few weeks now since they met and right now she was not only the only person he knew in this world but he had grown quite fond of her.

What was really odd though was he couldn't see any people anywhere. As they walked the main path towards the big pavilion he would have expected to see a few people out and about doing shopping or repairing some of the more run down homes. Yet it was as if this place was deserted.

The young blue-haired girl must have picked up on his unease because she gave him a big smile in hopes he would relax. It was something he had grown used to while on the road with her.

Whenever Percy was cautious or nervous about their surroundings she would nudge close to him and smile up at him for protection. It was a cute little quirk of hers.

"Hello? Is there anyone around?" Percy asked in the air when they finally stopped in front of the tent. He didn't want to just barge into somebody's home if there was somebody around.

It seemed that was a wise decision as suddenly Percy could hear the clinking of bottles and somebody shuffling around inside before falling over. The demigod raised an eyebrow at Wendy causing the six year old to giggle childishly.

"Just a minute! Hang on one minute" a male voice said from inside. It sounded old and hoarse.

Percy shuffled his feet back and forth a few times in anticipation of meeting this fellow causing Wendy to mimic his actions. His ADHD was acting up and something about this place just didn't sit right with the demigod but he couldn't put his finger on it.

After about a minute the voice called out to them. "Come in" it said calmly and Percy pulled Wendy along behind him making sure he was standing in front of her in case this place wasn't friendly.

The inside of the tent was surprisingly bright and cozy with numerous carpets and ornamental clothes strewn about. It had wooden floors that met along the heavy wooden frame giving the tent it's shape in the first place. Perhaps not so surprising was the inside was covered with various objects representing all different kinds of cats. Percy thought he recognized lions and tigers though there were a few he definitely didn't know either.

Seated in the center of the pavilion was an older man with a very large white beard that covered most of his face and he had some kind of headgear made of deep purple and red feathers. The center of his forehead had a strange tattoo etched onto his skin with a single red dot and two curved lines on either side.

The old man was shirtless and although he was certainly small and slim he also had muscle to him as Percy could clearly see definition on his arms. The elder was so fit he actually made Percy look downright fat in his twelve year old body. Around his neck sat a necklace made of large teeth causing the demigod to involuntarily reach up to his own neck and finger the beaded necklace around his own. He felt the mini trident and the empire state building with the names of everyone who died in the war sketched into it. He couldn't help but wonder what this years bead would be with the defeat of Gaia.

As Percy and Wendy approached the man smiled genuinely to both of them. Wendy looked at the man with some hesitation before she made her way behind Percy's leg to shield herself from the uncertainty of the situation. Percy wasn't ready to say things were safe yet so he didn't do anything to stop her. If living the past half decade as a demigod taught him anything it was that monsters would do anything to convince their prey they were safe.

"Hello" the man said in a kind voice when Percy stopped them a few feet short. He wasn't bothered by the action. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Roubaul. And who might you be?"

By now Percy knew that his name was fairly renown in the mythical world. Sometimes it seemed that he didn't even need to introduce himself before he was suddenly being attacked by monsters. Since this was the first interaction with somebody from this place it was a good test to see if his fame, or infamy depending on who you asked, was still relevant in this place.

Eyeing the man warily, Percy introduced himself and Wendy.

"I'm Percy and this is Wendy." he said gesturing to the bluenette behind him.

The demigod was watching Roubaul closely to see any kind of reaction at his name but the man just smiled and nodded his head in greeting. There was no acknowledgement of the name. Not even a slight hint of recognition.

That brought both relief and worry to the demigod.

The relief came from the fact he was unknown to this man. Either that or this guy was such a good actor he made Dionysus' kids look like amateurs and they were literally the sons and daughters of the God of Theater. Definitely unlikely though it was still possible.

However, he could practically feel some kind of power emanating from this place the second he and Wendy entered it so he knew this world, or at least more specifically, this place had something mythological or supernatural about it. Which unfortunately added another layer of confirmation for Percy that he was in a new world. The only left to do now was ask.

"Nice… tent you have here" Percy said when it became clear the man wasn't going to say anything. He made sure to give the cats and exotic carpets a curious look before addressing the elder.

For Roubaul's part he didn't seem fazed by the less than enthusiastic comments. He continued smiling that kindly smile and went into the details about a few of the statues and carpets lying around. Percy did notice a distinct lack of bottles however.

Wendy was eating everything the man was saying up. She had come out from behind Percy's back though she didn't stray far from his side. Her eyes gazed at everything happily and she was eagerly listening to all the old man's stories. Percy supposed they seemed realistic enough considering this guy was clearly very old.

"Is this a guild?" Wendy asked awed by everything coming at her. Percy looked at her unsure what she was asking though.

"A guild? What's a guild?" He directed the question at Wendy though it was Roubaul who answered.

"A guild is an organization where people may requests jobs and services to be performed by their members for payment. Although something tells me Ms. Wendy was asking about a specific kind of guild huh?"

The young girl blushed at being directed a question but she nodded her head nonetheless while Roubaul gave her a reassuring smile. Percy just raised an eyebrow waiting for him to continue.

The old man hesitated a moment under Percy's scrutiny but recovered quickly.

"This is the guild Cait Shelter under the authority of the Magic Council of Eathland. We have a few mages but we are a fairly small guild."

Four words specifically stuck out to Percy. Magic Council of Earthland. His mouth fell open at the revelation but quickly recovered before either Roubaul or Wendy noticed.

 _Magic? Earthland?_ _What the hell is going on?_ He questioned in his head.

While Percy was silently freaking out, Wendy was very pleased with finding out about the guild. Despite her shy nature she took a surprisingly active role in questioning Roubaul which clearly amused the old man.

"You have mages here that can do magic?" she asked in wonder. "Where are they? Where is the rest of the town?"

Roubaul looked panicked for a second but he closed his eyes and the next thing Percy knew the flaps to the tent were opening up and in strode a large man dressed in similar native garb to the elder. He had his hair shaved from his head revealing large ears and similar red tattoos on his cheeks that Roubaul had on his forehead. His pants were loose though tied with a cloth belt and he too was shirtless except for a dark teal vest.

"Ahh... Naoki. It's good to see you. Have the other returned from the job?" Roubaul asked regaining his composure.

The man, Naoki, nodded. "Yes guild master. Busk and the others have gone to their homes. The villagers are starting to come out of their dwellings now that the large spiders and other insects have been taken care of."

"Good!" Roubaul said standing up. He walked over and gave Naoki a hard slap on the back as if checking to make sure he was corporeal. Percy paid close attention but didn't see anything odd with the scene. In fact, it seemed Naoki's words were accurate as the demigod could start to hear commotion coming from outside the pavilion now.

Wanting to check for himself, Percy turned around and walked right out the tent only to see numerous faces of all different people buying and trading goods and food in the town square. A short distance away, he saw a pair of young men lifting heavy pieces of wood and begin repairing some minor damage to the homes at the end.

Percy looked around in wonder at how so many people could just suddenly show up like this. This wasn't a major city by any stretch but a village this big should still have had some activity when they entered. There had to be over 200 people out and about. Just Percy and Wendy walking into the town should have drawn at least some attention.

And yet here everybody stood now. Percy walked over and started grabbing some people only for a few to shoot him dirty looks before they ignored him and walked away. A few even cursed him out.

"Percy?" Roubaul asked. "Are you alright? I don't think Tania there likes being quite so manhandled by you." The woman, an auburn-haired girl that stood only a few inches taller than him, glared Percy's way before she slapped him across the face and stormed away.

A few passersby chuckled at him as they walked past but Percy was dumbstruck about everything. How could these people just appear now? Was this some sort of power like the Mist in action? The Mist couldn't ever make anything tangible so that didn't make much sense but Percy didn't have an answer otherwise.

"Where did all these people come from?" the son of Poseidon asked quietly. He thought he mumbled the question but Roubaul must have heard him because he answered anyway.

"Why they've been here the whole time. They were just locked away in their homes like Naoki said. We had to send a few of the guild members out to clear out a nest of large spiders that attacked the town a few days ago. That's why some of the people at the end are repairing the homes. Some poison from the spiders was sprayed on the frames and they were corroding away."

Roubaul said it with such sincerity that Percy couldn't help but think he was telling the truth. The houses those guys were fixing were definitely falling apart and it looked like it could have been from some kind of attack. But it just seemed so odd that nobody had come out before the members had taken care of the monsters. Something still wasn't sitting right with Percy but he couldn't place what.

When Percy didn't say anything else Roubaul continued talking.

"So, why, if I may ask, did you both come to Cait Shelter? Certainly two young ones such as yourselves are not traveling alone." The elder directed the question towards Wendy and her brief bout of confidence dried up like a prune. She must have realized just how far Percy had walked because she ran up next to him and grabbed his hand for support, clinging even tighter to him. He didn't mind as he didn't want the girl to leave his side in this strange place either. If something did happen it was better to have her nearby.

Percy took the initiative to answer for them.

"I ended up getting lost in the woods and have been trying to live off the land the past few weeks." he lied. It wasn't a great lie but it was believable at least. "I stumbled across Wendy and we've been trying to find her mother ever since."

Wendy chimed in then. "Have you see Grandeeney? She just disappeared on me and left me all alone if I hadn't found Percy." Tears threatened to form in her eyes again and Percy gave her hand a small squeeze in comfort.

Roubaul's face fell at that. Sympathy was written all over his body language and Percy could tell that it was genuine.

The elder shook his head unfortunately. "No, I'm sorry Wendy. There is nobody by that name here nor has she passed through Cait Shelter."

Wendy nodded glumly. Percy had warned her that there was a chance many people weren't going to see the dragon but he understood the hope that they might have.

"And what about you Percy? Lost in the woods you said. Are you searching for your parents as well?"

The demigod tensed up for a moment before he shook his head. "No" was all he said. Roubaul picked up on the finality of the statement and let it be. Percy quietly thanked the gods the old man was going to let the conversation go but he knew it wasn't over. At some point Roubaul was probably going to come back and ask him again.

Before either Percy or Wendy could dwell on darker thoughts though Roubaul clapped his hands and gathered their attention.

"Well how about some food then? You both look like you're hungry."

Both Percy and Wendy's stomachs answered for them. A large growl escaped their midsection much the embarrassment of the pair and the amusement of Roubaul and those around him. The elder took it all in good stride though.

"Come on inside and let us eat and talk. I have something I want to ask both of you." he said holding open the tent flaps for them. To the side a few woman were bringing in small trays of food and any sense Percy might have had to avoid the situation vanished as drool began leaking down his face. His stomach growled again and it seemed his mind was made up.

"Well maybe for just a few minutes" he said hungrily. Wendy nodded to his side and pulled him past the elder to where food awaited them.

* * *

The food here was absolutely amazing, Percy decided after eating his second helping of some kind of noodle dish. There were plenty of vegetables mixed in but they were cooked together so effortlessly that Percy couldn't even tell what they were. Only that it was all delicious.

Then again, traveling for a few weeks on the road and eating wild vegetables and other small animals he could catch weren't exactly the most appetizing meal either.

Dinner was mostly a quiet affair with Roubaul making small conversation with Naoki and a few other people that came into the tent but Wendy was so focused on eating an actual meal for the first time in who knows how long that she didn't catch much of it. Percy, on the other hand, used the excuse to listen in on every word that the guild members were saying.

Unfortunately, he didn't learn a whole lot about the world. Sure, he picked up on some minor details about something with the Magic Council and establishing trade with some of the nearby towns but for the most part Cait Shelter seemed fairly secluded.

It was just as he was finished eating that Roubaul turned his attention back towards Wendy and him.

"So, it seems that you both are looking for somebody. Grandeeney you said right?" he asked Wendy.

The girl nodded her head and put down her noodles to look at him.

"Well, as I said, I don't know anyone by that name or even anyone who came through town who could be a stranger. I'm assuming you will continue on with your search of her?"

The girl nodded her head again not verbally answering him. Grandeeney was such a tough topic for her right now and Percy knew just how bad she was feeling. He remembered all those times he asked his own mother about Poseidon before he even met him and felt empathy for her.

"Well in that case, I have a proposition for you" he announced kindly. There was a gleam in the old man's eyes that didn't exist before. "I can tell that you both are capable of strong magical powers, am I right?"

Percy raised an eyebrow at him. Magic? He couldn't use magic. He still didn't even know if it truly existed in this place yet. Nothing he's seen so far led him to believe that magic existed here. The people coming out of their homes was definitely odd but nobody could just conjure up hundreds of people out of thin air and give them physicality and personalities. Percy doubted even the gods could do something like that.

Wendy however confirmed it. "Yes we can. I can use Sky Dragon Slayer Magic." she said shyly. It was as if she didn't want anyone else overhearing her it was so quiet.

Roubaul looked a bit surprised for a moment but smiled pleasantly down at her. "A very rare magic indeed. Nobody has seen magic like that in hundreds of years."

Wendy blushed under the attention but Roubaul turned his attention on Percy before the girl could overheat due to the redness.

"And what about you Percy? I can sense great power in you. What can you do?"

Percy almost scoffed at the invasive question. They had just met these people and now they wanted them to tell them all about themselves? Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.

Just as he was about to tell the old man off though he caught the eyes of Wendy. She looked so pure and innocent with her puppy-dog eyes staring back at him. He did protect them in that rain bubble during the storm and promised he would tell her what he did. She already knew he had some kind of ability and it appeared she had one of her own though he hadn't known that.

Taking a deep breath he internally caved under the sweet looks of Wendy Marvell. But he wasn't going to tell them everything. He still didn't trust these people and there was something wrong with this place. He just needed to figure out what.

"I have some minor control over water" he said nonchalantly. He hoped that by trying to downplay his powers Roubaul would let it go.

It initially seemed his plan was going to work as the elder nodded but young Wendy just had to ruin it. Percy wanted to silently curse the girl out but she was six and didn't know better. However, the demigod did resolve to discuss things a bit more thoroughly alone with her when they had some time. And perhaps teach her a bit about the importance of not revealing everything when somebody asked.

Roubaul looked at Percy in amusement. He clearly could see the frustration Percy hid behind his eyes from Wendy though he didn't comment on it.

"Alright, so maybe it's a bit stronger than that. I just have an easy time with water is all."

"A bit stronger?" Wendy asked in a high-pitched voice. "You stopped the rain Percy. You protected us from the storm with your water bubble! You're so strong!" she gushed. She was revealing far more than he wanted to admit and he wanted to strangle her. "I wish I was that strong" she added at the end in a mumble and looking down at the ground. Any violent thoughts Percy had about her disappeared as he covered up his anger with a comforting smile. She smiled back at him. He found it difficult staying angry with her.

"Hmm" Roubaul said nodding to himself. Percy was focused on Wendy so he didn't notice the happiness on the old man's face but it was almost as if he had just found a missing puzzle piece.

"How would you two like to join up with the Cait Shelter guild?" the elder asked. "You could still search for your missing Grandeeney but you'll always have a place to come home to. You would go out on jobs and earn Jewels along with information you might come across."

Wendy gasped at the offer clearly not expecting it though Percy couldn't say the same. He was about to decline when Wendy asked Roubaul in wonder, "You mean it? We can join a guild and become mages?"

Roubaul laughed at the innocent question and nodded down at her. Wendy squealed in happiness, an odd sound Percy hadn't heard before, before she turned towards him.

"Can we Percy? Please can we? We'll be able to search Grandeeney everywhere and I'm sure we can find out where she went."

The demigod grimaced. Not only because he didn't want to get tied down here but he knew finding Grandeeney would probably be unlikely if she didn't want to be found which appeared to be the case. That wasn't to mention that Percy needed to try and find a way back to his own world on top of that. Setting roots here wouldn't be wise.

But looking into Wendy's dark chocolatey eyes it was getting hard to deny her.

"I don't know Wendy" he said weakly. "We don't want to impose on these people" he said trying to make up an excuse.

The young girl looked on the verge of tears about his hesitation. The other guild members around the tent watched on in disapproval though Roubaul seemed as if he was expecting the decision.

"I assure you Percy that you wouldn't be imposing on us. You would be doing us a great favor by joining up actually. We don't get many jobs out here but I have a feeling that in time that will change and we could use somebody of your and Wendy's strength" Roubaul said.

"Please Percy?" Wendy chimed in when the old man finished. Percy just looked at her trying everything he could think of to decline the offer.

But the simple truth is that nobody in this village had shown anything but openness and kindness to them. Percy still felt something was wrong here but there was no hostility or sense of foreboding from anyone. He knew arguing this would be a losing battle with the young girl.

He could leave her here to herself but that didn't feel right. He had grown attached to Wendy in their travels. Percy would go even so far as to call her his friend and somebody he cared for greatly. Taking care of someone tended to have that effect on people.

After debating with himself for a few more seconds he released a heavy sigh acknowledging defeat. The demigod gave a small nod of his head and Wendy jumped up clearly pleased with the decision before tackling Percy in a big hug. He couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

Getting back into a seated position, Percy pried Wendy off of him and set her to his side before throwing his arm around her shoulder. He turned to Roubaul and watched as the old man chuckled at the interaction.

"I am very happy you have decided to stay Percy. Cait Shelter could use a powerful mage like yourself and I know you will do great things in the future both for Earthland and the guild."

Roubaul's words sounded ominous to the demigod but he delivered them with nothing but happiness.

Wendy then gave a big yawn drawing everyone's attention. She blushed feverishly under their eyes but couldn't help it when a second one escaped her mouth. Percy knew that was the signal to get some sleep. Standing up, Percy pulled Wendy to her feet and supported her as the girl swayed slightly in her tiredness.

"Do you have anywhere we can sleep?" he asked the elder, stifling a yawn himself. His annoying twelve year old body was betraying him.

Roubaul nodded before he had some of the other guild members pick up a few blankets he had lying around the pavilion. "Yes" he confirmed, "follow me and I'll show you to the house you can stay in."

It didn't take very long to reach the house; it was barely 20 yards from the main pavilion they just ate dinner in. The house looked a bit worn down due to age but it seemed the most sturdy of all the ones surrounding it. Percy didn't catch sight of any hint of corrosion or rot in the framework and the door looked completely fine. The house was just an ordinary wooden house though; no paint or other materials made it up.

"You can stay here" Roubaul said opening the door. As Percy and Wendy entered they saw it was a small one story house with an open living room and small kitchen area in the back. Two smaller rooms were set in the back corner and were clearly bedrooms for both of them. Overall, the house was cozy enough though it lacked any furniture.

"We can see about getting you some more clothing and household items beginning tomorrow" the elder said smiling at them. "Now why don't you two get some sleep? I'll see you both in the morning and we can get things started. Have a good night"

Percy nodded and Wendy yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Roubaul took that as his sign to leave and, gathering the guild members that followed him in to drop off the blankets and pillows, led the procession out the door and into the night.

The Son of the Sea gently steered Wendy into the bedroom on the right and quickly set up a small makeshift bed for the young girl to sleep on. She didn't give any resistance when Percy told her to lie down and get some sleep. He made sure to tuck her in tightly and Percy watched as she slowly drifted off to dreams.

Making his way over to his own room next door, Percy quickly set up some blankets of his own in a bed and curled up with a pillow. His thoughts ran wild just processing everything he'd heard today and what he's learned these past few weeks.

Magic.

Guilds.

Earthland.

He suspected he had somehow been transported to a different world but just hearing it confirmed to him was extremely painful. His friends were all gone. His mom was gone. Annabeth was gone.

Perhaps never to be seen again.

And now with Wendy, he couldn't just leave her either. She was just a little girl who didn't know anything about this world aside from the few things the dragon Grandeeney taught her and some general information. At some point he knew he was going to have to leave her to find a way back home himself and at least this guild seemed like an ok place. He would have to do more research into it before he felt comfortable leaving her alone with them though.

But he would find a way to become happy and see his family again. He promised himself he would and promised Annabeth he would. It just might take a little time.

And it was those chaotic thoughts that Percy found himself drifting off into a restless sleep.

 _ **AN:**_

 _ **Trayia – Didn't do too much on here, sorry for the wait everyone. With the holidays around work has been hectic. Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to Storm for doing almost all of the work.**_

 _ **Storm – The Holidays are crazy everyone so I apologize for the delay. Work and parties and, in my case, moving into a new home tend to take up quite a bit of time. Though both Trayia and I strive to make the deadlines we set ourselves sometimes it just isn't possible. I'm sure you all can relate and understand.**_

 _ **Anyway, here's the newest chapter. Curious to see how everyone will like how we've integrated Percy into Earthland here. No Fairytail welcoming. At least not yet anyway. Plus, hope the de-age from Chronos helps make the age difference between Percy and Wendy at least a bit more understandable. I was inspired by the Annabeth-Luke early PJO books crush sense. Do you guys like that idea? She's six right now so don't expect anything romantic to pop up any time soon. Would really love to hear everyone's thoughts on how things have played out so far.**_

 _ **Thanks for everyone who takes the time to Favorite, Follow, Review and of course Read our story. We appreciate you guys.**_

 _ **Next Update will be after the holidays, expect sometime in the 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **or 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **weekend of January, and you can always check my profile for confirmation.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone!**_

 _ **Stormwreckin & Trayia**_


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